Device for feeding liquids



June 14, 1932. I c w MORSE ET AL 1,863,250

DEVICE FOR FEEDING LIQUIDS Filed Feb. 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l I "@MW.

June 14, 1932. c w MORSE ET AL 1,863,250

DEVICE FOR FEEDING LIQUIDS Filed Feb. 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES VJ. MORSE, OF ANACONDA, AND KENNETH :MCKENZIE, DECEASED, LATE OF ANACONDA, MONTANA, BY J. B. C. KNIGHT, EXECUTOR, OF ANACONDA, IEONTANA DEVICE FOR FEEDING LIQUIDS Application filed February 3, 1931.

This invention relates to a device for feeding liquids at a predetermined, uniform rate.

The invention is of general application but is adapted for use particularly in the flotation concentration of ores, where it is used for introducing liquid flotation agents, or solutions of solid flotation agents into a stream of flotation pulp, i. e. finely ground ore and water.

All reagent feeders heretofore tried for this purpose, have been found to possess some undesirable characteristic such as variation in the rate of discharge due to variation in the level of the liquid in the container from which the liquid is fed, stoppage of flow due to the clogging of apertures, irregular mechanical action of the parts due to corrosion or wear of the device or to variations in the viscosity of the liquid caused by temperature changes, and the lack of positive means for varying and exactly controlling the flow.

An object of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned defects in existing reagent feeders.

Another object is to provide a liquid feeder, the flow from which may be exactly regulated.

A further object is to provide a liquid feeder which automatically discharges a continuous stream of the liquid, regardless of its physical nature.

Still another object is to provide a liquid feeder all of the relatively movable contacting parts of which are at all times out of contact with the liquid being fed.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the feeder,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary section of line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a liquid holding tank supported on the frame 2. The cup 3 having the spout l attached to it, is adapted to be lowered into the liquid and raised whereby a predetermined quantity of liquid is poured into the flow controlling container 5. The spout which may be hollow or channeled, is pivoted at one end on the ad Serial No. 513,172.

justable slide 6. ihe rate of discharge from the feeder may thereby be regulated by adjusting the height of the slide 6.

The vertical motion of the cup and spout is received from a crank 7 driven by a pulley 8. The connecting rod 9 driven by the crank 7' is pivoted to the arm 10 rigidly attached to the cup-end of the spout 4. As the crank rotates the cup and spout will move in a vertical plane, the spout oscillating about its pivot on the slide 6.

The rate of discharge from the feeder is controlled by the screw 11 supported in the bracket 12 forming ways 13 for the slide 6. The screw 11 is connected to the slide 6 so that rotation of the screw results in a vertical movement of the slide. As the slide moves up and down so does the spout 4. Then for each vertical position of the slide 6, a different volume of liquid will be discharged into the flow controlling container 5, due to the cup and spout being moved by the connecting r0 9.

The ready adjustment of the slide to correspond to any desired discharge of liquid from the spout 4 is provided by the pointer 14 pivoted to the slide 6, rocking about a fixed pivot 15 and indicating upon a scale 16. From the relation of the parts, it will be seen that for each position of the slide the pointer will point to a different graduation on the scale 16. By calibrating the discharge realized for any given liquid for each graduation of the scale 16 and recording such calibration, it becomes readily possible to there after set the feeding device for any predetermined rate of discharge within the limits of the design The flow controlling container 5 is provided with compartn'ients 17 and 18 separated by a perforated plate 19 provided with a sliding plate 20. The liquid from the spout 4 is poured into the compartment 17 It then flows through the plate 19 into the compartment 18, the flow being controlled by the sliding plate 20. The liquid then flows downwardly through the discharge pipe 21. The plate 20 is adjusted so that the liquid supplied by the periodic action of the cup 3 and spout 4: is discharged through pipe 21 as a continuous uniform stream.

The operation of the device is as follows: The pointer 14; is set upon the scale 16 graduation corresponding to the discharges desired. This setting is effected by adjustment of the screw 11, rotation of which regulates the position of the slide 6 and consequently the spout 4. The crank 7 is then set in motion. The cup 3 and the spout 4 are alternately dipped into the liquid and raised whereby liquid is poured from the spout into the flow controlling container 5. The quantity poured depends upon the position of-the slide 6. As will be apparent only a portion of theliquid in the cup 3 may be discharged at each movement. Inasmuch as the cup is completely submerged in the liquid in the tank '1 at each oscillation, it will be clear that the height of the liquid in the tank may vary over a considerable range without effecting the rate of discharge of the feeder for a given range of movement of the cup and spout.

It will be seen that no relatively movable contacting parts of the device contact with the liquid being fed. This feature is particularly desirable when corrosive or viscous liquids are being used. 7

The above description is applied to only one unit of the apparatus two of which units are shown in the drawings. However, it will be clear that within the contemplation of the invention, a complete feeding device may have one separate unit, two as shown, or as many as are desired. As shown in the drawings, each separate unit discharges into a separate flow controlling container to even out the flow of the liquid.

We do not wish to be limited by the specific details of the construction described but only by the scope of the following claims.

We claim: 7

1.,A device for feeding liquids comprising a tank, a feeding member consisting of a cup and'a spout, a vertically adjustable pivot member, means to oscillate said feeding member into and out of said tank about said pivot, and means for adjusting said pivot member. 2. A device for feeding liquids comprising a tank, a feeding member consisting of a cup and a spout, a movable slide, said feeding member pivoted to said slide, means to move said slide, and means to oscillatesaid feeding member into and out of said tank.

3. A device for feeding liquids comprising'a tank, a feeding member consisting of a cup and a spout, said cup disposed at one end of said spout, a vertically movable pivot member, said spout pivoted at the end opposite the cup to said pivot member, means connected to said spout adjacent to the cup to oscillate said feeding member into and out of said tank, and means for adjustably positioning said pivot member.

4. A device for feeding liquids comprising a tank, a feeding member adapted to withdraw liquid from said tank, a vertically adjustable support to which said feeding mem ber is pivoted, means for oscillating said feeding member, means for adjusting'said support, and a flow controlling container into which said feeding member discharges.

5. In a device for feeding liquids, a tank, a pivoted feeding member adapted to withdraw liquid from said tank, amovable pivot support associated with said member, means to oscillate said member, and means to adjust the position of said support.

6. In a device for feeding liquids, a feeding member, means to oscillate said member, a support to which said member is pivoted, means to move said support, an indicating scale, andran indicator movable upon movement of said support to indicate on said scale.

7 In a device for feeding liquids, a feeding member, a slide to which the discharge end of said member is pivoted, means to oscillate said member, and means to adjust the position of said slide whereby the discharge from said feeding member is varied.

8. In a device for feeding liquids, a feeding member comprising a cup and a spout,

a movable support to which said spout is pivoted, means to adjust the position of said support and means to indicate the position of the support whereby the feeding member may be positioned for a predetermined rate of discharge.

In testimony whereof,,we affix our signa tures.

CHARLES W. MORSE. J. B. C. KNIGHT, Executor 0 f the Estate 0/ Kenneth McKen- .ez'e, Deceased. i

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